Concealable Ballistic Vest and Method of Manufacture

ABSTRACT

Ballistic fabric layers are combined to form a multilayered ballistic panel which is enclosed in a thermoplastic bag which forms a waterproof layer around the ballistic panel. An outer cover has fabric sheets which may have sewn on attachments and with an inside thermoplastic coating. The ballistic panel within the thermoplastic bag is inserted within the outer cover and sewn therein. The assumably is heated and placed in a bladder press and formed to a three-dimensional shape normally conforming at least in part to the human body. The final ballistic vest or ballistic component is a thin form-fitting ballistic armor part which is waterproof without stitching through the thermoplastic inner bag and the ballistic panel.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. App. No. 62/104,215, filed Jan. 16, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to soft ballistic armor generally, and more particularly to soft ballistic vests which are formed to better conform to the human body.

Soft ballistic armor is used to protect individuals against lower energy projectiles particularly pistol bullets and shrapnel. Soft armor is generally composed of multiple layers of ballistic fabric or a felt made of ballistic fibers such as ballistic nylon, aramid, para-aramid synthetic fiber, Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), or carbon fibers. In order for ballistic protection to be wearable the ballistic panels are fitted inside a carrier. The carrier is the visible part of a ballistic vest. There are at least two types of carriers, tactical military carriers that are worn as an outer garment, and covert law type carriers that are worn under the shirt.

A military type of carrier often has a series of webbing, hook and loop, and snap type connectors on the front and back faces. This permits the wearer to mount gear to the carrier in an array of configurations.

Law enforcement carriers are often concealable. The carrier holds the ballistic panels close to the wearer's body and a uniform shirt is worn over the carrier. Another textile layer is often found between the carrier and the ballistic components. The ballistic panels are enclosed within a coated pouch or slip which provides the encapsulation of the ballistic materials. Slips are manufactured in two types: heat sealed hermetic slips and simple sewn slips. For some ballistic fibers e.g., Kevlar, the slip is a critical part of the system, preventing moisture from the user's body from saturating the ballistic materials. For these fibers protection from moisture cycling increases the useful life of the armor as well as preventing the degradation of ballistic performance.

A conventional ballistic vest manufacturing process is described at Wikipedia, including first making the cloth of the ballistic panel, describing making Kevlar® cloth in a process in which “the Kevlar yarns are woven in the simplest pattern, plain or tabby weave . . . which is merely the over & under pattern of threads . . . [that] interlace alternatively.” For Spectra® fibers weaving is not usually used for ballistic vests, “instead the strong polyethylene polymer filaments are spun into fibers that are then laid parallel to each other and resin is used to coat the fibers, sealing them together to form a sheet of Spectra cloth. Two sheets of cloth are then placed at right angles to one another and again bonded, forming a nonwoven fabric that is next sandwiched between two sheets of polyethylene film. The vest shape can then be cut from the material.” After the panels are cut from the cloth and sewn, the vest is finished by sewing the shells for the panels “together in the same standard industrial sewing machines and [using] standard sewing practices. The panels are then slipped inside the shells and the accessories such as the straps are sewn on.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulletproof_vest.

Bulletproof vests assembled in this method have common drawbacks that hurt concealability and durability. Since the armor is allowed to sit freely within the outer carrier it can shift during use. This shifting leads to fold lines, which will become more pronounced over time. The repeated folding will then cause the armor to roll and become thicker at the lower edges, creating a lumpy and bulged appearance. This is both a detractor for concealment and user comfort, as the resulting shape is no longer analogous to the human form. Various attempts have been made to better support the armor through suspending it at each shoulder area, however, the armor is still free to move in relation to the outer carrier. The user is only able to adjust the tension on the shoulder and waist straps. However, this tension is applied to the carrier alone, only affecting the inner ballistic panel indirectly. This compromise is made because it is generally accepted that stitching through the whole armor insert has two major drawbacks. 1. Any stitch will be a weak point since the needle will either sever ballistic fibers or create gaps during the stitching operation. 2. Stitches through the armor insert have the potential to allow moisture inside, which is known to both degrade the armor's performance and also its usable life.

Another aspect of body armor concealability is conforming the ballistic panel to match the wearer's body shape. Conventional vests utilize fairly flexible armor that can more easily conform, the tradeoff being increased likelihood of wrinkling and bunching as mentioned above. Others attempt to create a compound curved shape by either including pleats and folds or by pressing the armor, thereby stretching and pulling the fibers to result in a compound curved shape. Compound curvature tends to make the armor insert more rigid and less fabric like. The rigid armor, when inserted into a carrier, will do a better job of matching the wearer's body shape, but will be more likely to shift around since the outer carrier strap tension only indirectly affects the armor panel. Any forces on the armor are more likely to translate through and shift it as a whole in relation to the carrier, requiring readjustment by the wearer.

What is needed is a process for making concealable body armor which joins the ballistic panel securely to the outer shell without stitching through the armor, and allows the armor to be formed to fit the wearer, to thereby produce a thin, form fitting armored vest that can be held in position to the wearer's body with minimal shifting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a ballistic vest and a method of making a ballistic vest and smaller components of ballistic armor. The ballistic armor of the vest, especially soft ballistic armor used to stop shrapnel and handgun bullets, is constructed of ballistic fibers formed into a ballistic fabric. The ballistic fiber fabric layers, usually in the form of sheets, are combined to form a multilayered ballistic panel by bonding or sewing the multiple layers of fabric together. The ballistic panel fabric layers may incorporate a thermoplastic which serves to adhere the layers together. The ballistic panel is 3-10 mm, typically 4-7 mm, in thickness. The ballistic panel is enclosed in a heat weldable thermoplastic inner bag which surrounds the panel and which is heat welded to form a waterproof seal around the entire ballistic panel. An outer cover is assembled from inner and outer sheets of fabric which are stitched together to define an open ended fabric bag. Most of the interior surface of the cover's fabric sheets has a thermoplastic coating which faces the inner bag containing the ballistic panel in the assembled vest. Preferably the fraction of the interior surface of the cover's fabric sheets which has a thermoplastic coating is greater than 70%, more preferably greater than 80% to 90% or 95%. The ballistic panel sealed within the inner bag is inserted within the outer cover and positioned between the inner and outer fabric sheets and the cover is stitched closed.

The enclosed ballistic panel assembly is then heated to the bonding temperature of the thermoplastic inner bag and the interior thermoplastic coating on the outer cover fabric layers. Preferably the outer cover is then bonded to the ballistic panel in a flat planar press to avoid wrinkling the outer cover. The assembled outer cover and ballistic panel are then placed in a bladder press and formed to a three-dimensional shape normally conforming at least in part to the human body. The final ballistic vest or ballistic component forms a thin form-fitting ballistic armor part which is waterproof without stitching through the thermoplastic inner bag or the ballistic panel. The outer cover assembly may include sections of stretchable fabric which either stretch in one direction (2-way stretch) or in two or more directions (4-way stretch) which may not have an inner coating of thermoplastic. Typical materials include knitted fabrics, elastane (Spandex® and Lycra®) formed of a polyester-polyurethane copolymer. Elastane fabrics typically stretch 4-7 times their length, but stretchable fabrics as used in the ballistic assembly may require only 30-100% stretch.

The sections of stretchable fabric may be coated with an interior thermoplastic coating which bonds the stretchable fabric to the ballistic panel. This approach is generally preferred in keeping with the overall design goal of having the outer cover integral with the ballistic panel. However, advantages can be gained by having portions of the stretchable fabric not coated with an interior thermoplastic coating. In particular, portions of the vest with high curvature developed during the final step of molding, where the compound curvatures are formed, can develop wrinkles in the underlying ballistic panel. These wrinkles transmit through to the outer cover of the armor, making it harder to conceal, and causing the overall product to look unsightly. By adding areas of high-stretch fabric without a bonding thermoplastic coating in the areas of the ballistic panel prone to wrinkling, the high-stretch fabric bounces back after molding, hiding the wrinkles below and improving concealability. Since these areas do not have a bonding coating on them, they are utilized sparingly, only being applied in high curvature areas prone to wrinkling such as the middle of the inside surface of the back or the front torso component.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a ballistic vest or component with an outer cover which is bonded to an armor panel, wherein the outer component and the ballistic panel conform to portions of the human body and are retained in a secure manner.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a form-fitting ballistic vest or component which is highly resistant to moisture or water contacting the ballistic panel.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a ballistic vest or component where an outer cover is bonded to a ballistic panel to form a water and water vapor seal around the ballistic panel.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a ballistic vest or component with an outer cover which is bonded to an armor panel and to form a water and water vapor impervious layer surrounding the ballistic panel, wherein the outer component and the ballistic panel conform to portions of the human body.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for avoiding printing i.e., showing through of components or parts of the vest, on the outer shape of the vest which reduces the concealability of the vest.

It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a method for forming an assembly of an outer cover and a bonded inner armor panel into a three-dimensional shape which conforms in part to portions of the human body.

Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded assembly drawing of the front part of the ballistic vest of this invention, wherein an outer cover of the front part of the ballistic vest is shown partly cutaway.

FIG. 2 is a rear isometric view of the front part of the ballistic vest of FIG. 1 after assembly and formation in a bladder press.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the front part of the ballistic vest assembled with the similarly formed back part, showing hook and loop fastener straps which join the front and back parts of the ballistic vest.

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional perspective view of the ballistic vest assembly of FIG. 3 taken along section line 3A-3A.

FIG. 4B is an exploded view of the ballistic vest assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5A is a schematic view of a first step of forming a ballistic vest using a bladder press showing bonding of the vest parts in the press.

FIG. 5B is a schematic view of a second step of placing the bonded ballistic vest parts in a press with a mold having a desired three-dimensional shape.

FIG. 5C is a schematic view of a third step of forming the ballistic vest to a shape in the press of FIG. 5B.

FIG. 5D is a schematic view of a forth step of removing the finished formed ballistic vest element from the press of FIG. 5C.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1-5D wherein like numbers refer to similar parts, a ballistic vest 20 is shown in FIG. 3. The vest 20 is composed of two components: a front torso component 22 and a back torso component 24 which are of generally similar construction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front torso component 22 has three basic parts: a soft ballistic panel 26 which is received within a thermoplastic inner bag 36 which is received within an outer cover 40. The soft ballistic panel 26 is constructed of assemblies of ballistic fabric such as those formed from DuPont Kevlar® fibers, fibers of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) such as Spectra® fibers from Honeywell, ballistic nylon, aramid, para-aramid synthetic fiber, carbon fibers, or other ballistic fabric. These ballistic fibers are formed into layers which may be woven or non-woven and cut to the desired shape of the panel 26. The panel may be stitched through with a stitching pattern 34 to define various regions, such as a breast region 30 and two side regions 32.

The thermoplastic inner bag 36 may be assembled from two parts cut from a thin film of thermoplastic by welding along the peripheral edges 58 by any suitable means, preferably by radio-frequency (RF) e.g., 20 to 40 kHz, welding. The inner bag 36 so formed will have a bottom opening 38 through which the panel may be inserted within the bag. The thermoplastic used to form the inner bag 36 is preferably thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), an aromatic TPU based on isocyanates, or a polyether (PTU). Polyether TPUs have low temperature flexibility and good abrasion and tear resilience. Polyether TPUs also resist microbial attack and provide excellent hydrolysis resistance making them resistant to water and water vapor. The thickness of the thermoplastic is preferably less than about a millimeter or in the range of 10 to 80 thousandths of an inch. After the inner bag 36 is welded, as shown in FIG. 1, it is preferably but not necessarily inverted so that the outer edges 58 do not extend beyond the welded seam. The soft ballistic panel 26 is slipped into the inner bag 36 through the open bottom 38 and the bottom opening 38 is welded shut forming a hermetically sealed outer layer of thermoplastic completely enclosing the ballistic panel 26.

The outer cover 40 is comprised of an inner element 42 which is positioned next to the body of the wearer as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and an outer element 44 shown in FIG. 3. The inner and outer elements 42, 44 are stitched together at seams 53 which extend around the periphery to produce a cloth bag with an open bottom 48. The bag of the outer cover 40 is then preferably but optionally inverted to hide the stitching. Other parts making up the ballistic vest, including side straps 55, hook and loop fasteners (e.g., Velcro® fasteners), and fastening surfaces 57 formed by flaps 59 as shown in FIG. 3 are then attached e.g., by stitching, to the outer cover 40 after inverting (if that is done), and prior to the assembly and pressing. The flaps 59 cover any overlap of the front side panels 54 of the front torso component 22, and the back side panels 49 of the back torso component 24, which may occur when the vest 22 is worn by a thinner person. In FIG. 1 the outer cover 40 is partly cut away to show the outer cloth element 44, which is preferably of a wear resistant material such as used in jackets or packs. The inner element 42 is preferably assembled from multiple types of cloth generally comprised of a soft fabric 50 which when worn engages the skin or undergarment of the person wearing the vest, and optionally bands 52 of stretchable cloth, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The bands 52 of cloth which are stretchable are made of materials such as elastane or spandex polyester-polyurethane copolymer which facilitates the flexure of two sidewardly extending side panels 54 and two shoulder straps 56. The cloth used to fabricate the outer cover 40 is coated on at least one side with a thermoplastic which is compatible with the thermoplastic used to form the inner bag 36. The thermoplastic coated surfaces are arranged so that in the assembled outer cover 40 they are on the inside. The cloth can be specified to have a thermoplastic coating on one side of the required type or the coating can be applied to the cloth before fabrication by any of the conventional means such as hot melt extrusion, calendar coating, or rotary screen coating. The coating only need be as thick as necessary to form a secure bond to the thermoplastic inner bag 36 and will be typically thinner than the thickness of the film used to form the thermoplastic inner bag 36.

In a similar way, after the ballistic panel 26 has been sealed within the thermoplastic inner bag 36, the sealed inner bag 36 with the ballistic panel within is slipped between the inner element 42 and the outer element 44 of the outer cover 40 through the bottom opening 48 and the bottom opening is sewn shut. At this point in the process, the ballistic panel is sealed within the thermoplastic inner bag 26 and sewn within the outer cover 40, and at least the less stretchable portions of the interior surface of the cloth outer element 44 have a coating of thermoplastic (i.e. the soft fabric 50 and the interior surface of the cloth outer element 44 which is at least in part in contact with the inner bag). The assembly is now ready to have heat applied to secure the inner bag 36 to the outer cover 40.

While any conventional heating, pressing, and molding process may be used, one method is illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5D which uses a bladder press 60 having a first press section 62 containing a mold form 64. The mold form is shown as a flat plate 63 in FIG. 5A and as a female mold 65 in FIGS. 5B-5D. However, the mold form could also be a male mold. The bladder press 60 has a second section 66 which contains an inflatable bladder 68 which can be filled with gas or liquid, typically air, such that when the first press section 62 and the second press section 66 are closed as shown in FIG. 5A, pressure can be applied to the assembled part 22 as indicated by arrows 70 by introducing a pressurized liquid or gas from a source of pressure 67 into the bladder 68. Prior to processing in the bladder press 60 in step 1, the assembled part 22 is heated to a temperature (e.g. 230° F.) which renders the thermoplastic of the inner bag 36 and the thermoplastic coating on the inside surfaces of the outer cover 40 bondable, and the heated part is placed in the bladder press 60 as shown in FIG. 5A. The temperature to which the assembled part 22 is heated is selected to be below the temperature which would adversely affect the ballistic panel 26 or the fabrics used to make up the outer cover 40. The assembled front torso part 22 is then processed to bond the soft ballistic panel 26 to the cloth making up the outer cover 40. Once the bladder press 60 has been cycled, as shown in FIG. 5A, the ballistic panel 26 is now bonded to the outer cover 40 to form a bonded front torso part 22 of the vest which is removed from the bladder press.

In FIG. 5B this bonded part 22 is placed in a different or the same bladder press 60 with the flat plate 63 replaced by the female mold 65. Prior to the step illustrated in FIG. 5B the assembled part 22 (if necessary) is reheated to return the part 22 to a temperature which renders the thermoplastic in the assembled front torso part 22 formable, and placed in the female mold 65. Preferably a vacuum system (not shown) is applied to the female mold cavity 65 by drilling a number of small holes through the surface of the mold cavity which connect to a source of vacuum to eliminate any air bubbles which might be trapped in the part 22. In the step shown in FIG. 5C the bladder press 60 first press section 62 and second press section 66 are again closed and the part 22 is forced into the female mold 65 by inflation of the bladder 68 with a pressurized fluid from the fluid pressure source 67 to bring the front torso part 22 to a shape which conforms to the wearer's body. The formed torso part 22 is thus rendered a pre-curved ballistic element which has a three-dimensional shape with a curve in at least one direction. As shown in FIG. 5D, the completed part 22 is then removed from the press, and is in its final form, being an integral cloth-covered ballistic panel 26 with breast region 30 and side regions 32 which conforms closely to the body of the wearer. The finished front torso part 22 encapsulates the ballistic panel 26 in a water-resistant/proof thermoplastic, so that the final product behaves as if it is integrally formed, not like a conventional soft armor vest which behaves more like armor in a sack. Moreover, the final part is further without stitching passing through the ballistic panels, such that the ballistic panels are rendered substantially impervious to water and water vapor and protected from microbial action while remaining flexible even at low temperatures. It should be noted that although the step shown in FIG. 5A may be preferred, it could be eliminated and the bonding could take place in the step shown in FIG. 5C simultaneously with the formation of the shape of the part 22.

The back torso part 24 though differing in shape so as to conform to the back of a person is likewise composed of the same parts, i.e. one or more soft ballistic panels, a thermoplastic welded inner bag, and an outer cover which is assembled and formed in a substantially identical process as that described for the front torso part 22. Although ideally all elements, including straps, hook and loop fastener surfaces (e.g., Velcro® fasteners), fasteners of the front and back torso parts, are attached to the outer cover 40 prior to assembly and pressing, additional parts can be added after the parts 22, 24 are removed from the bladder press 60 as shown in FIG. 5D so long as such attachments do not involve stitching which penetrates a ballistic panel or the encapsulation which surrounds the ballistic panels. Additional parts could be added for example by stitching to the shoulder straps 56 which do not contain a ballistic panel.

An alternative method for heat sealing and forming the front torso part 22 is to use vacuum forming which employs an array of small holes which extend to the surface of a mold cavity and which are connected to a source of vacuum. The assembled ballistic part 22 is placed over a female or male mold, the ballistic part 22 is overlain by a rubber sheet such that the vacuum clamps the part 22 between the rubber sheet, and the vacuum causes atmospheric pressure to force the part 22 into conformance with the mold surface forming, compressing, and bonding the part.

As shown in FIG. 4A, a zipper 72 may be sewn on the inside bottom 74 of the inner element 42 of the outer cover 40 of the front (and/or the back) torso component 22 for removably attaching accessories. The zipper 72 is covered by a cloth flap 76 which is sewn to the inner element 42 of the outer cover 40 above the zipper 72. the zipper 72 is used for attaching accessories such as a removable cummerbund and an abdomen panel. The zipper can be also be used to attach ballistic plate covers for a hard ballistic plate which can withstand higher velocity projectiles than the soft ballistic panel 26. The function of the zipper could be accomplished with a hook and loop fastener such as VELCRO® fastener, but the zipper has a lower profile.

The side fastening surfaces 57 formed by the flaps 59 as shown in FIGS. 3-4B may incorporate a pocket 61 sewn to the inside surface of the flaps 59 which can hold a pistol, radio, or magazine, the pocket is not noticeable when empty. The pocket 61 is accessed by a tab 51 sewn to the upper edge 49 of the pocket as shown in FIG. 3. The straps 55 are made of a stretchy material so that the vest 20 expands and contracts as the wearer breathes. Further, to give the side straps 55 a longer region of space in which they can stretch, the straps pass through, and are positioned by, a back pocket or channel 71 sewn on to the outside of the back torso panel 24 as shown in FIG. 3. The straps 55 are made in two parts 46, 47 connected by hook and loop fasteners so the length can be adjusted to the wearer. The back channel 71 covers the excess length of straps 55 used for adjustment, such that the outside of the back torso panel 24 remains smooth which improves concealability.

The sections of stretchable fabric 52 may be coated with an interior thermoplastic coating which bonds the stretchable fabric 52 to the ballistic panels 26. However those portions of the vest with high curvature developed during the final step of molding shown in FIG. 5C, where the compound curvatures are formed, may develop wrinkles in the underlying ballistic panels 26. These wrinkles transmit through to the outer cover of the armor, making it harder to conceal, and causing the overall product to look unsightly. By adding areas 78 of high-stretch fabric 52 without a bonding thermoplastic coating in the areas 78 of the ballistic plate prone to wrinkling or other discontinuity as shown in FIG. 1, the high-stretch fabric bounces back after molding, hiding the wrinkles below and improving concealability. Since these areas do not have a bonding coating on them, they are utilized sparingly, only being applied in high curvature areas 78 prone to wrinkling such as the middle of the inside surfaces of the back 24 or the front 22 torso component. Such areas are generally limited to 5% to 30% of the total area of the vest surfaces.

The intent of the process described is to eliminate the bagginess of typical soft ballistic armor where the outer covering is not bonded to the armor insert, to make the armor thinner and more comfortable by eliminating wrinkles in the outer cover fabric, and to conform more closely to the wearer's body. The thinner conformable armor not only is more comfortable it also improves concealability.

It should be understood that a single ballistic element incorporating an outer cover and an inner ballistic panel but forming only a part of a ballistic vest, or other soft armor parts such as groin protectors, joint protectors, neck protectors can also be formed in accordance with the arrangement and process disclosed herein incorporating a soft ballistic panel, a bonding layer between the soft ballistic panel and the outer cover, and an outer cover of cloth.

Soft ballistic armor is made of layers woven of the threads formed from ballistic fibers in which each layer may be bonded to hold the threads in place. Soft ballistic armor has a rating under the National Institute of Justice rating system (Ballistic Resistance of Body Armor NIJ Standard-0101.06, July 2008) for body armor of II-A, II, or III-A and stops projectiles up to about 1,400 ft/sec with the higher rating reducing the blunt trauma from higher velocity projectiles. The layers of woven fabric are stacked and may be sewn together. The threads formed from ballistic fibers distribute the load produced by shrapnel or handgun bullets.

Ballistic fibers are defined as including ballistic nylon, aramid, para-aramid, Zylon® poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole), Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), carbon fibers and such fibers (including nanotubes) known or developed which have properties, for an equal weight of fibers, which are better than or the same as any listed fiber in resisting projectile penetration and reducing the blunt trauma when used in soft ballistic armor. Further, the outer cover of the ballistic vest or ballistic elements may be formed of any single or group of textile materials meeting the functional requirements described or claimed herein.

Waterproof is defined as a level of substantial imperviousness to water and water vapor which during typical use and life of a ballistic vest e.g., 2-5 years, will prevent significant loss of strength e.g., less than 10% of para-aramid fibers strength.

Pre-curved as used in the claims means the ballistic panels are curved by default i.e., as made, and not just curved in an as-worn condition, where the wearers body is responsible for creating and maintaining the curvature.

It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces all such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A soft ballistic vest of the type used to protect a person from shrapnel and bullets, comprising: a front torso component, and a back torso component; wherein the front torso component, and the back torso component are joined by at least two shoulder straps which are joined by segments of hook and loop fastening material for fastening the at least two shoulder straps between the front torso component and the back torso component; wherein the front torso component has a portion that is shaped to overlie the chest of a human, and two front side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso; wherein the back torso component has a portion that is shaped to overlie the back of a human, and two back side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso; each of the front torso component, and the back torso component further comprises: a soft ballistic panel configured to stop projectiles originating from handguns or shrapnel from explosions, and made of a plurality of layers of ballistic fabric; an outer fabric cover having sewn thereto the at least two shoulder straps or segments of hook and loop fastening material for fastening the at least two shoulder straps; wherein the soft ballistic panel is completely surrounded by a water-resistant or waterproof layer which is bonded to at least 70% of the outer fabric cover which overlies the soft ballistic panel so that the soft ballistic panel is bonded to the outer fabric cover so the soft ballistic panel may not move with respect to the outer fabric cover; and wherein the soft ballistic panel with the outer fabric cover is pre-curved in at least two directions to conform to a front or back torso and to two side torso portions of a human body's external anatomy, to form the soft ballistic vest; wherein the outer fabric cover has elastic portions of stretchable fabric which is not bonded to the soft ballistic panel, the elastic portions comprising at least one contiguous portion of 5% of the outer fabric cover uninterrupted by adhesive which is not bonded to the soft ballistic panel at all, to allow the contiguous portion to stretch to create a smooth surface over any underlying discontinuities of the soft ballistic panel.
 2. The soft ballistic vest of claim 1 wherein the front torso component has two outer flaps which have inside surfaces which overlie the two side torso portions of the front torso component, each outer flap having a hook or loop fastener forming an outer surface, and wherein one of the two outer flaps has a pocket sewn to one of the inside surfaces so that the pocket is between the outer flap and one of the front side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso, the pocket being thus adapted to hold a pistol, radio, or magazine, and arranged to be hidden by the overlying outer flap when empty.
 3. A soft ballistic vest of the type used to protect a person from shrapnel and bullets, comprising: a front torso component, and a back torso component; wherein the front torso component, and the back torso component are joined by at least two shoulder straps which are joined by segments of hook and loop fastening material for fastening the at least two shoulder straps between the front torso component and the back torso component; wherein the front torso component has a portion that is shaped to overlie the chest of a human, and two front side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso; wherein the back torso component has a portion that is shaped to overlie the back of a human, and two back side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso; each of the front torso component, and the back torso component further comprises: a soft ballistic panel configured to stop projectiles originating from handguns or shrapnel from explosions, and made of a plurality of layers of ballistic fabric; an outer fabric cover having sewn thereto the at least two shoulder straps or segments of hook and loop fastening material for fastening the at least two shoulder straps; wherein the soft ballistic panel is completely surrounded by a water-resistant or waterproof layer which is bonded to at least 70% of the outer fabric cover which overlies the soft ballistic panel so that the soft ballistic panel is bonded to the outer fabric cover so the soft ballistic panel may not move with respect to the outer fabric cover; and wherein the soft ballistic panel with the outer fabric cover is pre-curved in at least two directions to conform to a front or back torso and to two side torso portions of a human body's external anatomy, to form the soft ballistic vest; wherein the back torso component has an outer back fabric back pocket which is sewn to the outer fabric cover of the back torso component so that the back pocket is open ended and circumferentially extending to lie flat against the outer fabric cover of the back torso component, wherein in which back pocket are received two straps which extend circumferentially along to the two side torso portions of the front torso component for fastening thereto.
 4. The soft ballistic vest of claim 1 wherein at least one of the front torso component and the back torso component has one part of a zipper attached to a side adapted to face and to run circumferentially about a waist of a wearer of the soft ballistic vest, for attaching accessories.
 5. The soft ballistic vest of claim 4 wherein the one part of the zipper is covered by a cloth flap which provides access to the one part of the zipper from below the soft ballistic vest as worn.
 6. The soft ballistic vest of claim 2 further comprising a tab sewn to an upper edge of the pocket to provide access to the pocket between the outer flap and one of the front side portions.
 7. The soft ballistic vest of claim 1 wherein the ballistic fabric is comprised of para-aramid fibers and the layer of water-resistant thermoplastic is a polyether thermoplastic polyurethane. 8-20. (canceled)
 21. A soft ballistic vest of the type used to protect a person from shrapnel and bullets, comprising: a front torso component, and a back torso component; wherein the front torso component and the back torso component are joined by at least two shoulder straps which are joined by segments of hook and loop fastening material for fastening the at least two shoulder straps between the front torso component and the back torso component; wherein the front torso component has a portion that is shaped to overlie the chest of a human, and two front side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso; wherein the back torso component has a portion that is shaped to overlie the back of a human, and two back side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso; each of the front torso component and the back torso component further comprises: a soft ballistic panel configured to stop projectiles originating from handguns or shrapnel from explosions, and made of a plurality of layers of ballistic fabric; an outer fabric cover having sewn thereto the at least two shoulder straps or two segments of hook and loop fastening material for fastening the at least two shoulder straps; wherein the soft ballistic panel is completely surrounded by a water-resistant or waterproof layer which is bonded to at least 70% of the outer fabric cover which overlies the soft ballistic panel so that the soft ballistic panel may not move with respect to the outer cover; wherein the soft ballistic panel with the outer fabric cover is pre-curved in at least two directions to conform to a front or back torso and to two side torso portions of a human body's external anatomy, to form the soft ballistic vest; and wherein the front torso component has two outer flaps which have inside surfaces which overlie the two side torso portions of the front torso component, each outer flap having a hook or loop fastener forming an outer surface, and wherein one of the two outer flaps has a pocket sewn to one of the inside surfaces so that the pocket is between the outer flap and one of the front side portions which are shaped to overlie the sides of a human torso.
 22. The soft ballistic vest of claim 21 further comprising a tab sewn to an upper edge of the pocket to provide access to the pocket between the one of the two outer flaps and one of the front side portions of the front torso component.
 23. The soft ballistic vest of claim 21 wherein the pocket sewn to one of the inside surfaces has a tab sewn to an upper edge of the pocket and spaced circumferentially from both of two vertical sides which define the pocket, so that the pocket between the outer flap and one of the front side portions can be opened by pulling on the tab outwardly with respect to the soft ballistic vest. 